The Kidnapping Day | Recap and Review

A kidnapper becomes a servant appa to his 12-year-old genius hostage.

Yoon Kye-sang: Kim Myeong-joon

Jeon Yoo-na: Choi Ro-hee

Park Sung-hoon: Park Sang-yoon

Kim Shin-rok: Seo Hye-eun

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Family, Mystery

Year: 2023
Episodes: 5/12

Recapper: FanFanX

Recap Grade: A
First Impression: 3/5

The First Shot | Reviews

A Northeastern police team recruits a Southern foodie chemist to fight drugs

Notable Actors/Actresses

Huang Jing Yu: Zheng Bei

Zhang Yu: Jiang Xiao Hai

Wang Zi Qi: Gu Yi Ran

Director

Lv Xing

Screenwriter

Zhang Yuan Ang, Mai Li Ya Si

Chinese Title
雪迷宮

Snow Maze

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Bromance, Team, Action

Network: Youku

Year: 2024

Brush Up Life | Review

An ordinary woman dies, and restarts her uneventful life over and over again until...

Notable Actors/Actresses

Ando Sakura: Kondo Asami

Screenwriter

Bakarhythm

Japanese Title

ブラッシュアップライフ

Refresh Life

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Fantasy

Year: 2023
Episodes: 10

Wonderful World | Review

A desolate mother is denied justice for her son's death.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Kim Nam-joo: Eun Soo-hyun

Cha Eun-woo: Kwon Sen-yul

Kim Kang-woo: Kang Soo-ho

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance

Year: 2024
Episodes: 14

White Cat Legend | Open Thread

A super-cat-man detective avenges his father.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Ding Yu Xi: Li Bing

Zhou Qi: Chen Shi

Director

Wang Wei

Chinese Title

大理寺少卿游

Genres: Period, No Romance, Bromance, Team, Mystery

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2024
Episodes: 36

Fantastic Doctors | Open Thread + Reviews

A trio of residents learn how to heal people and hearts.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Zhang Wan Yi: Chen Hui

Jiang Pei Yao: Yuan Ye

Chinese Title

非凡醫者

Extraordinary Doctor

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Team

Network:  MangoTV

Year: 2023
Episodes: 16

Bloodhounds | Review

A pair of boxers (humans) embroiled in a knife fight with loan sharks.

Notable Actors/Actresses

Woo Do-hwan: Kim Geon-woo

Lee Sang-yi: Hong Woo-jin

Heo Jun-ho: Cho Tae-ho

Park Sung-woong: Hong Woo-jin

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Bromance, Team, Action, 

Year: 2023
Episodes: 8

Reviewer: FanFanX

Out of Court | Recap and Review

A procurator and a lawyer team up in a crime thriller.  
Notable Actors/Actresses

Xia Yu: Lu Nan

Luo Jin: Qiao Shao Ting

Director

Zhang Li
Chinese Title
庭外

Part 1 盲區 Blind Spot

Part 2 落水者 The One Who Drowned

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Mystery, Suspense

Network: Youku

Year: 2022
Episodes: 20 + Special

Part 1 [1 -6]

Part 2 [7-20] 

Recap Grade: B/C

First Impression: 3.8/5

The Story of Xing Fu | Recap and Review

A girl by the name of Happiness achieving happiness. 
Notable Actors/Actresses

Zhao Li Ying: He Xing Fu 

Liu Wei: Wan Shan Tang 

Luo Jin: Guan Tao 

Tang Zeng: Wang Qing Lai 

Director

Zheng Xiao Long

Chinese Title
幸福到萬家

Happiness to Ten Thousands of Family

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Family

Network: Youku

Year: 2022
Episodes: 40

Recap Grade: C
First Impression: N/A

The Fight | Recap and Review

A pair of officers against two mafia brothers. Will justice prevail in this duel? 
Notable Actors/Actresses

Ou Hao: Wu Jian 

Wang Jing Chun: Wen Lu Yang
Chinese Title
對決

The Showdown

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Team, Mystery, Suspense

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2022
Episodes: 24

Recap Grade: A/B
First Impression: 3.8/5

Hikaru no Go | Recap and Review

For the love of Go. 
Notable Actors/Actresses

Hu Xian Xu: Shi Guang

Zhang Chao: Chu Ying

Hao Fu Shen: Yu Liang

Director: 

Liu Chang, Sang Mu Tian

Screenwriter

Zhuo Yue Pao Mo, Xu Yi Tian

Chinese Title
棋魂

The Soul of Chess

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Bromance, Sports

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2020
Episodes: 36

Recap Grade: A/B
First Impression: 3/5

The Ordinary Glory | Recap and Review

An ordinary drama about the ins and outs of an intern's life. 
Notable Actors/Actresses

Bai Jing Ting: Sun Yi Qiu

Mark Chao: Wu Ke Zhi

Qiao Xin: Lan Qian Yi

Wei Da Xun: Hao Shuai

Pang Han Chen: Gao Si Cong

Zuo Xiao Qing: Yu Wen Li

Director

Lv Xing
Chinese Title
平凡的榮耀

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Team

Network: Youku

Year: 2020
Episodes: 41

Recap Grade: C/D
First Impression: 3.5/5

A Murderous Affair in Horizon Tower | Recap and Review

A murder takes place in Horizon Tower. The death of this girl brings about the deepest and darkest secrets of everyone involved in her life. 
Notable Actors/Actresses

Guo Tao: Zhong Jing Guo

Yang Zi Shan: Yang Rui Sen

Angelababy: Zhong Mei Bao

Lv Yu Lai: Xie Bao Luo

Director: 

Chen Zheng Dao, Xu Zhao Ren

Scriptwriter: 

Shu Qiao, Shen Yang, Ren Peng, Yi Shuai Jie

Chinese Title
摩天大樓

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Sismance, Suspense

Network: Tencent Video

Year: 2020
Episodes: 16

Recap Grade: A
First Impression: 5/5

Reunion: The Sound of the Providence | Recap and Review

A man is on a mission to find the whereabouts of his third uncle. From there our party of three embark on perilous tomb raiding missions. 

Notable Actors/Actresses

Zhu Yi Long: Wu Xie

Chen Ming Hao: Wang Pang Zi

Huang Jun Jie: Zhang Qi Ling

Chinese Title
重啟之極海聽雷

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Bromance, Team, Action

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2020
Episodes: 20/32

Recap Grade: D
First Impression: N/A

[Dropped]

Missing Persons Review

The bus to Chong Qing brings six strangers together. After an accident, they are the lone survivors. This story follows the salvation of each character. why it had to be them, and what there purpose is. 

Notable Actors/Actresses
Chen Hao Yu: Li Qiao

Chen Xiao Yun: Lu Min

Liu Chang: Zou Zhi Ming

Lv Yu Lai: Chen Jian

Zhang Zhi Lu: Tao Zi You

Chinese Title
失踪人口

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Suspense

Network: Youku

Year: 2020
Episodes: 12

The Bad Kids | Review

A murderer versus the bad kid. Warning: Once you click to view this post it will all be spoilers. 

Notable Actors/Actresses

Qin Hao: Zhang Dong Sheng

Rong Zi Shan: Zhu Chao Yang

Shi Peng Yuan: Yan Liang

Wang Sheng Di: Yue Pu (Pu Pu)

Director: 

Xin Shuang

Scriptwriter: 

Pan Yi Ran, Sun Hao Yang

Chinese Title
隱秘的角落

The Hidden Corner

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Family, Suspense

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2020
Episodes: 12

Imperfect Love | Recap and Review

A girl is looking for her birth mother but somehow becomes a mother of a child who's abused by her family.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Zhou Xun: Lin Xu Zhi
Chen Si Nuo: Mu Lian Sheng / Lin Xiao Ou
Kara Hui: Yuan Ling
Angie Chiu: Zhong Hui

Producer: 

Gao Ming Qian

Chinese Title
不完美的她
Imperfect Her

Genres: Contemporary, No Romance, Family, Suspense, 

Network: Tencent Video, iQIYI

Year: 2020
Episodes: 22

First Impression: 2.75/5

Qihuan

Criteria: 

✓ Fantasy World-Building 

✓ Costumes

✓ Includes Xuanhuan

✓ NOT Xianxia or Wuxia

**Qihuan is a broad genre that means Fantasy and should include contemporary dramas, but I'm only using it for fantasy costume dramas that are not xianxia and wuxia. 

Genres (but not all-inclusive): 

✓ Qihuan / Historical Era (e.g. Republican Fantasies)

✓ All variations of romances: Romcom, Romance, Slight Romance, No Romance, BL

Excluding overlapping dramas that are mainly:

𐄂 Wuxia 

𐄂 Xianxia

Work/Life/Family ≥ Romance

Criteria: 

✓ Balance of Work / Family / Self-Improvement 

✓ Workplace Dramas (including lawyers, doctors, firefighters, bankers, etc.)

✓ Big Family Dramas 

✓ Romance can still be romantic. It just isn't the focus. 

✓ Balance of ML and FL screen-time

Genres (but not all-inclusive): 

✓ Contemporary

✓ Romance (Contemporary Romance) / Slight Romance / No Romance. 

✓ CEOs who actually work

Excluding overlapping dramas that are mainly:

𐄂 Ladies Ensembles

𐄂 Romantic > Work/Life/Family are in  Contemporary Romance Central

Ladies Ensemble

Criteria: 

✓ Screentime: FLs  >>> MLs

✓ Balance of Work / Family / Romance

Genres (but not all-inclusive): 

✓ Contemporary, Sismance

✓ Romance, Slight Romance or No Romance (Contemporary Romance)

✓ Occasional CEOs 

Excluding overlapping dramas that are mainly:

𐄂 Balanced in ML & FL screen time (e.g. Contemporary Romance, Work/Life/Family ≥ Romance)